This weekend marked the annual Oklahoma City Memorial Marathon, serving as yet another reminder of the tragedy that ensued on April 19, 1995, but more importantly, the response that occurred in the days following. The presence of the Oklahoma Standard is as apparent today as it was 29 years ago.
We sadly lost four Oklahomans due to tornadoes over the weekend, three of whom called our area home. My thoughts and prayers are with these families as they navigate this challenging time. Additionally, there have been hundreds of injuries reported across south central Oklahoma. Our local hospitals and first responders have been working around the clock to care for those affected, and we cannot thank them enough for their immediate response and continued assistance.
As many homes and businesses suffered severe damage or are a complete loss, members of the community have shown up to help pick up the pieces. From gathering food, water, clothing, and other necessities, to helping with clean up, and providing those displaced with a place to stay, the response from our communities has been remarkable and truly exhibits the Oklahoma Standard.
Recovery and cleanup efforts have been assisted by a number of state agencies, law enforcement, emergency management, and electric crews, among many other organizations and volunteers. Thanks to their aid, our communities will recover and come back stronger from these events. However, rebuilding won’t occur overnight. It will require months of collaboration from all levels of government and community partners to rebuild the lives of affected families and restore our communities.
I encourage those affected to call 2-1-1 so they can help direct you to available resources. You can also visit the Oklahoma Department of Emergency Management website for situation updates, which also include more information on available resources.
If I can be of assistance to you, please contact my office at Greg. [email protected] or by phone at (405) 521-5541. Please include your name and where you are from so we can best address your needs.
